A Wisconsin tribal casino that’s been in the works for more than six years is finally nearing the start of construction.
The Ho-Chunk Nation is one of several federally recognized tribes in Wisconsin. The tribe owns and operates six casinos in the Badger State in Black River Falls, Madison, Nekoosa, Tomah, Wisconsin Dells, and Wittenberg.
The Ho-Chunk people have long claimed historical ties to Beloit along Wisconsin’s southern border with Illinois. After years of petitioning the federal government to take its 73 acres of land located along Interstate 90 at Colley and Willowbrook roads into the federal trust, the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Indian Affairs in April 2020 finally signed off on the application.
The land-into-trust development cleared the way for the tribe to operate Class I and II Indian gaming on the property. Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D) in March 2021 agreed to expand the tribe’s Class III gaming compact to the Beloit venue to allow the forthcoming casino to house Las Vegas-style slot machines and live dealer table games.
Ho-Chunk project plans reveal its Beloit destination will become the second-largest casino in Wisconsin with upwards of 1,500 slots and 44 table games.
The resort blueprint includes a 312-room hotel, four restaurants and three bars, a spa, and 76,000 square feet of conference space. Tribal plans include a “color-changing media mesh” lightning system on the hotel’s façade that will be capable of creating an array of color sequences and digital displays.
Construction on the $405 million development, a budget that hasn’t changed since 2018, is expected to begin in the coming months. The project is forecasted to create 1,200 construction jobs and 1,500 permanent resort and casino positions.
In exchange for the Class III gaming privileges, the Ho-Chunk Gaming Beloit casino will direct 2% of its annual gross gaming revenue (GGR) to local governments. The City of Beloit will receive 70% of the local allocation, with Rock County receiving the remaining 30%.
The tribe’s longstanding gaming compact also requires that the state receive 5% of the Ho-Chunk casinos’ annual GGR from Class III operations. If annual win climbs above $350 million in a given fiscal year, the tribe’s obligation increases to 5.5%.
The Ho-Chunk Beloit casino will be just a 20-minute drive north of where Hard Rock International is prepping Hard Rock Casino Rockford in Illinois. Hard Rock has operated a temporary casino inside a retail strip mall since November 2021.
The permanent facility is a $310 million undertaking located immediately off Interstate 90 at State Street. Hard Rock will offer 1,300 slots, 50 table games including a poker room, a Hard Rock Bet Sportsbook, six restaurants, and a Rock Shop selling Hard Rock merch and memorabilia.
Hard Rock won’t offer an on-site hotel but will feature a Hard Rock Live concert venue with seating for up to 2,000 guests.
Hard Rock and Ho-Chunk will be direct competitors, but with Hard Rock’s permanent property slated to open next month on Aug. 29, the Wisconsin tribal casino will be at a disadvantage in presumably opening at least a year after Hard Rock begins enrolling locals into its loyalty program.
Hard Rock is fully owned by the Seminole Tribe of Florida.
